Anxiety in an alcoholic population: a normative study

While anxiety is part of the clinical picture for alcohol abusers, there are no published normative data available for this population on state and trait anxiety as assessed by the STAI (Form Y). Pre- and posttreatment STAI-Y scores were examined from 107 males who volunteered for treatment at a Veterans Administration Medical Center Alcohol Dependence Treatment Unit. Normative data on the STAI (Form Y) from an alcoholic sample are presented (N = 107). Comparison of pre-admission and posttreatment scores yielded significant differences for both state anxiety and trait anxiety. Use of the STAI-Y with alcoholic inpatients for assessing self-reported changes of both transitory (state) anxiety and stable (trait) anxiety seems appropriate. The need for further construct validation as well as systematic manipulation of treatment variables and situational factors with this population is discussed.